Clooney's first recordings, in May 1946, were for Columbia Records. She sang with Tony Pastor's big band. Clooney continued working with the Pastor band until 1949, making her last recording with the band in May of that year and her first as a solo artist a month later, still for Columbia.
She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit Come On-a My House written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian (better known as David Seville, the father figure of Alvin and the Chipmunks), which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" (a cover version of the Italian song Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccina by Alberto Rabagliati), "Mambo Italiano", "Tenderly", "Half as Much", "Hey There" and "This Ole House", although she had success as a jazz vocalist. Clooney's career languished in the 1960s, partly due to problems related to depression and drug addiction, but revived in 1977, when her White Christmas co-star Bing Crosby asked her to appear with him at a show marking his 50th anniversary in show business. She continued recording until her death in 2002. She was the aunt of Academy Award winning actor George Clooney; mother-in-law of singer Debby Boone; and sister to former television personality Nick Clooney. She was the ex-wife of Jose Ferrer; mother of actor Miguel Ferrer
Clooney was diagnosed with lung cancer at the end of 2001. Around this time, she gave her last concert, in Hawaii, backed by the Honolulu Symphony Pops; her last song was "God Bless America".
In the Cool Cool Cool of the Evening
Rosemary Clooney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sam wants to boil a ham,
Grace votes for Bouillabaisse stew.
Jake wants a weeny bake,
Steak and a layer cake,
He'll get a tummy ache too.
We'll rent a tent or tepee.
Let the town crier cry.
This is what I'll reply
In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Tell 'em I'll be there
In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Better save a chair
When the party's gettin' a glow on
And singin' fills the air
In the shank of the night
When the doin's are right
You can tell 'em I'll be there
"Whee" said the bumblebee,"
"Let's have a jubilee"
"When?" said the prairie hen, "Soon?"
"Shore" said the dinosaur.
"Where?" said the grizzly bear,
"Under the light of the moon?"
"How `bout ya, brother jackass?"
Ev'ryone gaily cried,
"You comin' to the fracas?"
Over his specs he sighed
In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Tell 'em I'll be there
In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
Slickum on my hair.
When the party's gettin' a glow on
And singin' fills the air
If I ain't in the clink,
And there's sumpin' to drink,
You can tell 'em I'll be there
The lyrics to "In the Cool Cool Cool of the Evening" by Rosemary Clooney are about planning a party with friends. Each person has a different suggestion for food, from barbecue to bouillabaisse stew, and activities, like renting a tent or tepee. Despite their different ideas, they all agree to come together and have a good time in the "cool, cool, cool of the evening." The celebration is filled with singing and merriment, and the singer promises to attend if she's not in jail and there's something to drink.
The lyrics paint a light-hearted picture of a group of friends coming together to enjoy each other's company. The playful banter about food and party activities emphasizes the joy and ease of spending time with good friends. The repetition of the phrase "cool, cool, cool of the evening" emphasizes the sense of relief and relaxation that comes with the end of a hot day, and the use of animal characters like the bumblebee and the grizzly bear adds a whimsical element to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Sue wants a barbecue,
Sue desires to celebrate the party with the barbequed food.
Sam wants to boil a ham,
Sam wants to cook a ham by boiling it to add variation to the dishes served in the party.
Grace votes for Bouillabaisse stew.
Grace suggests serving Bouillabaisse stew, which is a French soup for the party.
Jake wants a weeny bake,
Jake wants to make small hot dogs in the oven to serve as a snack in the party.
Steak and a layer cake,
There will be grilled steak and a cake with multiple layers.
He'll get a tummy ache too.
Eating too much food can cause Jake to have a stomach ache.
We'll rent a tent or tepee.
To host the party, the hosts will rent a tent or tepee as a central point of the gathering.
Let the town crier cry.
To invite guests, the town crier will be given the duty of announcing the details of the party.
And if it's RSVP
If the hosts request to have an RSVP.
This is what I'll reply
The reply the hosts will give for the RSVP.
In the cool, cool, cool of the evening
The party will take place in the evening when the weather is cool.
Tell 'em I'll be there
The singer promises to attend the party and requests to inform others about her participation.
Better save a chair
The singer tells the host to reserve a seat for her.
When the party's gettin' a glow on
When the party is lively and cheerful.
And singin' fills the air
When people are singing during the party.
In the shank of the night
In the middle of the night, when it's dark.
When the doin's are right
When everything is perfect and going according to plan.
You can tell 'em I'll be there
The singer reiterates that she will attend the party and others can be informed of her presence.
"Whee" said the bumblebee,
The bumblebee suggests making a joyful noise or humming sound.
"Let's have a jubilee"
The singer suggests celebrating with a joyous event.
"When?" said the prairie hen, "Soon?"
The prairie hen asks about the celebration date or time.
"Shore" said the dinosaur.
The dinosaur confirms his interest in attending the party.
"Where?" said the grizzly bear,
The grizzly bear inquires about the location of the party.
"Under the light of the moon?"
The dinosaur suggests having the party in the moonlight.
"How `bout ya, brother jackass?"
The group invites the brother jackass to the party.
Ev'ryone gaily cried,
Everyone in a festive spirit joyfully cheered.
"You comin' to the fracas?"
The group asks the brother jackass if he's coming to the party.
Over his specs he sighed
The brother jackass sighs and seems uninterested in attending the party.
Slickum on my hair.
The singer says that she will dress up and look stylish for the party.
If I ain't in the clink,
If the singer is not in jail or arrested before the party.
And there's sumpin' to drink,
If there's something to drink at the party.
You can tell 'em I'll be there
The singer assures the hosts that she'll attend the party if the above conditions are met.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BING CROSBY, ROY TURK, FRED E. AHLERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind